Our Story
The Highland Shakespeare Company was born to answer the call lead by HSC Honorary President Richard Demarco in 2013 to reimagine the hit BBC 3 "must see" Edinburgh Festivals show The Tempest at Hopetoun Estate and take it on tour. The company lead by Sunny McDougall Moodie, Siannie McDougall Moodie, Lizzie McDougall and Natalie Ulman gathered a cast and crew of over twenty persons to take the production on tour. Shakespeare's masterpiece met with critical acclaim and sell out audiences at Fingask Castle where they were welcomed and assisted by Chatelain Helen Molchanoff and at Belladrum Estate where they were welcomed and assisted by Joe and Leonie Gibbs. The production garnered rave reviews, described as "outstanding" by the ICA and "one of the most stunningly beautiful things I have seen" by the Ross-Shire Journal. The core creative team regularly met to read Shakespeare together and put together the production, often meeting at Gerald Laing's studios at Kinkell Castle where they worked on the script and, lead by Lizzie McDougall, on the sumptuous costumes for the production.
From the Highlands they travelled to Edinburgh to meet with Richard Demarco where he would work to inspire and encourage the young company. On any given day he could be found giving masterclasses on interpreting Shakespeare's text, deep in intellectual discussions on the nature of theatre or leading the company out on adventures into the physical landscape of Scotland that he felt resonated with Shakespeare's poetry. In the morning he could be found contextualising the companies contributions to the Edinburgh festivals with reference to the greats he had witnessed over the decades, and in the afternoon he would be explaining the relevance of Shakespeare's poetry to the life of the arts in Scotland, and its meaning to the road to Meikle Skeggie. Under such an illuminating artistic aegis the company felt the confidence to give its all to the productions it staged.
After The Tempest on Tour The HSC brought an enchanting A Midwinter Nights Dream to the snowdrop gardens at Cambo Estate and then to Fingask Castle. The audience were transported to a Shakespearian winter wonderland with a vividly imagined Russian Royal Court, aeronautical Mechanicals landing in balloons, and a stunning opening sequence featuring Theseus, the minotaur and ballerina, choreographed by Natalie Ulman who played Titania. The music was all composed for the production by Siannie McDougall Moodie and described as "beautiful" by The Scotsman newspaper who gave the production 4 stars and a glowing review. The full moon that night played its part well, coming out from behind the clouds just in time for Oberons, played by Christopher Cannell, address to Titania, 'met by moonlight'. This production was featured in The Daily Telegraph and lead to Doring Kingsley Travel lauding the HSC as one of the top Shakespeare attractions in Great Britain stating “No Shakespearean performance is likely to be more immersive, or exciting, than a play put on by the HSC”.
Following this production the HSC staged a dramatic reimagining of Midsummer Nights Dream, The Dream
on Inchcolm Island. The audience travelled to the Island on a ship alongside actors placed in disguise in their midst. As the boat docked at the island the actors threw off their disguises, revealed as brave Athenians who brought the
audience ashore where they were greeted by the call of the John Kenny on his Carnyx and an island that came
to life all around them with actors and music.
The company assembled again to stage a special Birthday performance for Richard Demarco at Fingask Castle. This play grew to become All The Worlds a Stage, written by Natalie Ulman, which was presented at the Dean Gardens later that year as part of the Edinburgh Festivals. The play All The Worlds A Stage was Shakespeare in seven different languages, translated by some of the worlds foremost poets to give the audience experiences such as Romeo and Juliet in French and Oberon and Titania in Arabic. The Company remain extremely grateful to the Dean Gardens for hosting the production.
Later productions have included Protect The Flame which staged Richard Demarco's fabled meeting with Joseph Beuys at Fingask Castle. In the play Beauys welcomes Richard and declares that if culture were capital Demarco would be a billionaire. The play then unfolded into a promenade through the Fingask Castle topiary where the audience encountered people who have kept the flame of consciousness alive such as Ram Das, Swami Satchidananda, Terence McKenna and St Columba.
At the Dean Gardens the company also staged Searching for The Timeless, A Quest for Arcadia where the audience followed Puck and Pan to a world of music, stepdance, storytelling and theatre.
Most recently an imagining of Prosperos life before the Tempest in the play Prospero's Flame was presented at Fingask Castle and then at Prestonfield House. The play concerned Ariel assisting Prospero on regaining his inspiration.
The Company has also made a number of pieces of cinema. These include Wild Hearts, an entirely Shakespearian feature length motion picture assembled by Natalie Ulman to tell the legend of Apollo and Daphne. The film featured an original score by Siannie McDougall Moodie and Ossian Moncreiffe and was presented as part of the Belinale film festival. The company collaborated with noted Native American elder Tom Bluewolf of Dances With Wolves fame to create The Gift, a film connecting the audience with nature and a sacred quest, filmed in Nantahayla nature reserve in Georgia USA. The film was selected for the The Kuala Lumpur Academy Awards in Malaysia. The company also created a Gaelic film in Scotland's Perthshire called Nighean Na Coille, an enchanting telling of the coming of St Bride that won awards in California. Returning to Shakespeare Natalie Ulman won the female filmmaker award at the Angelica film festival in Minnesota for R&J, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in New Orleans.
The company has also done projects to introduce children to Shakespeare in fun and exciting ways including a participatory play in a day version of A Midsummer Nights Dream for NADFAS at Fingask castle and workshops at Belladrum Festival.
In total, hundreds of individuals have contributed to the life of The Highland Shakespeare Company.
Written by Sunny McDougall Moodie, Artistic Director of The HSC.
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